Tsunami warning follows strong quake off Solomons

Pacific island chain hit by further tremor after series of strong quakes in recent days

The Solomon Islands (centre) are located off the northeast coast of Australia in the Pacific Ocean. Photograph: Google Maps
The Solomon Islands (centre) are located off the northeast coast of Australia in the Pacific Ocean. Photograph: Google Maps

A major earthquake of magnitude 7.5 has struck off the coast of the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean today, triggering a tsunami warning in the area, the US Geological Survey and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said.

The quake, initially reported as a magnitude 7.7, was shallow, only 12.4 miles (35 km) below the seabed, and centred 73 miles (113 km) south of Kira Kira in the Solomon Islands, which have been racked by a series of strong quakes in recent days.

The Tsunami Warning Center said it was not yet known whether a tsunami had actually been generated but a warning was in effect in the Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Papua New Guinea.

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Reuters